Process of producing gas.



B. F. McKEE.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING GAS.

APPLICATION FILED 02012. I911.

Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, .1918.

Application filed December 18, 1911. 'Sertal Io. 800,737.

To all whomitma concern.-

Be it known t at I, BEN F. McKee, a

citizen of the United States, residin at Anna, in the county of Crawford and tate' 6 of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Process of Producing Gas, of which the following is a specification.-

The present invention relates generally to the art of gas production, and thlsszsphcation contains matter also disclo in Patent 1,249,151, issued to me on December 4, 1917.

The a-p aratus embodies a suitable casing 1, refera ly disposed upright, and having a oor 2 for enab ing access to be had to the interior working parts for purpose of reair, adjustment or replacement. The casmg 1 incloses a gas chamber, and the casing is air tight to exclude air from said chamber. The casing has an upper valve controlled outlet 3 and a lower valve controlled outlet 4.

The working parts of the apparatus are supported from an upright slab 5 of insulating material and attached to the back wall of the casing at the interior thereof. Vertically spaced heads or blocks 6 and 7 are i to sup orted by brackets 8 attached to the slab 5 t e u or head 6 bei of lar r diametiar than the lower head A fru t o-conical or tapered retort hopper or drum 9 is disosed between and has its ends abutting the 46 lieads 6 and 7, the larger end member 9 bein uppermost. The heads 6 and 7 have annu ar series of lugs 10 for holding the member 9 in position and permitting it to rotate about a vertical axis. The member ID 9 incloses the retort chamber, and the u per end of the member 9 'is provided wit an annular series of notches 11 for: the outlet of the gas from the retort chamber into the gas chamber'within the casing 1, and said It notches also provide a crown r meshing with a pinion 12 rotatable wi the in the upper head 6 and secured to the inner end of a shaft 13 which is journaled-in the head 6. The shaft 13 is journaled through the slab 5 and can be rotated in any suitable manner-for impartin rotary-movement to the member 9 during the operation of the generator.

An electric arc as a source of heat is roduced within the retort chamber for rivmg the gas from the coal or carbonaceous material, and for this purpose, a carbon or other suitable electrode 14 is slidable through a central aperture in the u per head 6 and has its active end depending within the retort chamber, and any suitable controlling and feeding device 15 bein used for adjustin the electrode 14 and fee ing it downwar 1y to maintain the roper arc gap. The device 15 embodies an e ectromagnet 15 for attracting an armature 15", which is connected by suitable gearin 15 with the electrode 14, to adjust the atter electrode magnetically as desired. An suitable means for this urpose can .be used: A lower electrode 16 0? any suitable character is supported by the head 7, having its lower end seated in the recess in said head, and the electrode 16 is, as illustrated, of tubular form, whereby the carbonaceous material can be fed upwardly to the arc. The lower head 7 has an annular series of apertures or openings 17 leading downwardly from the retort chamber and 'providing outlets for the gravitation of the ashes onto the bottom of the casing, from which the ashes can be removed from time p to time.

In order to feed the material up through the tubular electrode 16, a pipe 18 has its delivery terminal projectin u wardly through the head 7 and into t e e ectrode 16, and a similar feed pipe 19 has one terminal extending downwardl through the upper head 6 to deliver material into the u per portion of the retort chamber. T e

pipes 18 and 19 extend rearwardly throu h the slab 5 although they can be led into is e casing in any su table. manner. The outer ends of the pipes 18 and 19 have he pers 20 for receiving the material, and f worms or screws 21 work within the pipes 18 and 19 to force the material into the retort chamher, said worms'being operated. in any suitp able manner. I

The, current can be supplied to the electrodes in any suitable manner.

22 are carried by the connected by leads 23 posts 24 extending through the 10h the feed conductors 25 are the u per portlon of the casing, and by opening t e outlet-4, the air will be driven down- Wardly through said outlet until the gas chamber is entirelv rid of the air, in which event the outlet 4 is closed. The coal dust is then fed through the ines 18 and 19 into the retort chamber, and when the electric current is allowed ,to How between the electrodes, this will produce an are having intense heat, therebv driving the gas from the I coal dust. The gasflows through the notches 11 into the gas chamber, and is forced out through the upper outlet 3 which is opened for that purpose. The gas can be collected within a gasometer or tank wherein it can be stored and from which it can be with-. drawn as used. The'gas can be produced cheaply, and can be used for lighting and noted that the member 9 is rotated into the upper portion of the retort chamber from the pipe 19 will gravitate to the zone of intense heat surrounding the arc, it being whereby to -agitate the coal dust and render the operation thorough. The ashes drop around the electrode 16 and through the openings 17 Having thus described theinvention, what is claimed asnew is:

1. The process of producing gas, consisting in feeding carbonaceous material to an electrically heated zone, and rotating the material in said zone.

2. The process of producin gas, consisting in feeding carbonaceous net to an electrlc arc, and rotating the material around the arc.

3. The process of producing gas, consisting in feeding carbonaceous material into a rotatable member inclosing a pair of electrodes.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as'my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

' BEN F. MoKEE. Witnesses:

,Jorm Firm,

, KENNETH W. Hmmr. 

